PROWESS: Archives
2008 Diversity Seminar
The AAPG Professional Women in Earth Sciences (PROWESS) Committee and AWG sponsored a two-hour seminar, entitled “Embracing Diversity in a Global Workforce: How Do We Respond to Age, Gender, and Global Cultural Differences?”, on April 22, as part of the 2008 AAPG Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX. This seminar was designed to help participants better understand the wide range of diversity issues that we face in the workplace today and provide strategies for dealing with some of these issues. Three invited speakers provided their views on the highlighted topics. MORE >>>
Stay tuned for details on the 2009 Diversity seminar to be held in conjunction with the 2009 Annual Meeting in Denver. Tentative date for the 2009 seminar is before the opening ceremony Sunday, June 7. Please plan to attend!
AAPG’s 2008 Workforce Retention Survey
AAPG’s work force retention survey, open for input from late July though September 30, targets degreed women geoscientists of all ages and at every stage of their careers.
Specifically, the survey aims to reach four groups:
- Former employees who left the industry.
- Industry employees who left, then returned after a time.
- Women geoscientists currently employed in the industry, academia or government, but with opinions on improving the workplace climate for women and families.
- Women with a geosciences degree who were never employed in the industry.
The survey also captures current workplace “best practices” that are supportive of working women and contribute to employee satisfaction. Once the results are compiled and analyzed, the results will be published in a future EXPLORER and on the AAPG Web site.
Goals:
2008-2009:
- Collect data on the Energy Industry work place environment and retention as they pertain to women Earth scientists. Synthesize and communicate results to AAPG and Energy Industry leadership via the Corporate Advisory Board. Disseminate data to educate both AAPG members and Energy Industry professionals.
- Participate in the planning and execution of the 2009 Women’s Global Leadership Conference. Increase AAPG awareness of and visibility at the conference.
- Host a third workshop at the AAPG Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado (Spring 2009) to address relevant skills, work place issues, and to encourage networking of female students and professionals.
- Update and keep current the AAPG PROWESS committee Web page with information on the committee, current events for women in the Energy Industry, resources, etc.
Longer Term:
- Develop a “Distinguished Diversity or Work/life Balance Lecture” and request AAPG funding.
- Involve International members in PROWESS and address greater issues facing members in International Regions.
- Produce resource materials, in addition to a website, which may include an AAPG CD/DVD on Women in Earth Science and the Energy Industry.
- Continue to develop annual workshops focusing on topics pertinent to professional women in earth sciences and the work place environment in general at the AAPG Spring Annual Meeting.
- Encourage women to pursue leadership positions and support them after their nomination/election to their leadership roles. Nominate women for awards given by AAPG and other geologic organizations.
- Raise visibility and disseminate information that feature issues, profiles and suggestions to diversify the work force and close the gender gap (e.g., AAPG Explorer /Bulletin articles and/or brochure to raise awareness of the committee).
- Increase the number of female members within AAPG and encourage active participation in PROWESS.
Committee Membership Mix:
- AAPG Industry representatives (different regions)
- Academic representatives
- AWG representatives
- Student representatives
- Senior Advisor